Morning News Digest: July 1, 2009

With the PolitickerNJ.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of New Jersey's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

Gov. Jon Corzine trims lead of Chris Christie in N.J. Gov race, poll finds

Gov. Jon Corzine still trails his GOP rival, Chris Christie, but has closed the gap a bit, according to a poll released today. (AP)

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/gov_jon_corzine_still_trails.html

N.J. Communications Workers of America approve furlough deal

Members of New Jersey's largest public employee union have ratified a revised contract agreement that defers a pay raise and calls for 10 unpaid furlough days in exchange for a promise of no layoffs. (AP)

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/nj_communications_workers_of_a.html

New Jersey ushers in fiscal year with added, higher taxes

Happy fiscal new year, Jersey residents. (Reitmeyer, The Star-Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/new_jersey_fiscal_year_begins.html

EPA gives N.J., 13 other states green light to adopt tougher auto emission standards

The Environmental Protection Agency today gave the go-ahead for 14 states, including New Jersey, to adopt stricter auto emission standards to curb green house gases. (The Star-Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/epa_gives_nj_13_other_states_g.html

Six people are indicted on mortgage-fraud charges, Milgram says

Yi Feng Reid and Yu Jane Chen had plenty of bills to pay, investigators said. They bought food, toys, jewelry and ponies. Thousands of dollars were used for a spiritual adviser. And all of the money was pulled from a $1.15 million mortgage fraud scheme to steal identities for fraudulent loans and credit cards, investigators said. (Megerian, The Star-Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/six_people_are_indicted_on_mor.h

Corzine to swear in Passaic Mayor Alex D. Blanco, 7 p.m.

Gov. Jon S. Corzine and U.S. Senator Robert Menendez will attend the swearing-in ceremony of Passaic Mayor Alex D. Blanco at 7 p.m. today. (AP)

http://www.northjersey.com/news/passaicpolitics/Corzine_to_attend_swearing-in_ceremony_for_Passaic_Mayor_Alex_D_Blanco_7_pm.html

Cigarette tax rises Wednesday

New Jersey smokers will be paying more for a pack of cigarettes starting Wednesday thanks to a tax hike tied to the state budget Governor Corzine signed into law earlier this week. (Reitmeyer, The Record)

http://www.northjersey.com/news/njpolitics/tax_hikes.html

NJ school districts without schools face last days

The Teterboro and Rockleigh school boards are set to go the way of the dinosaur thanks to a law signed by Governor Corzine Tuesday that would eliminate so-called non-operating school districts. (Alex, The Record)

http://www.northjersey.com/news/njpolitics/NJ_school_districts_without_schools_face_last_days_.html

Family leave program goes into effect in N.J.

Benefits allowing workers to take up to six weeks of paid time off to care for a sick family member, newborn or newly adopted child take effect today, more than a year after New Jersey became the third state in the nation to enact paid family leave legislation. (Graber, Gloucester County Times)

http://www.nj.com/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1246423228168470.xml&coll=8

Officials celebrate bypass project

Just 10 months after breaking ground on the first phase of the U.S. Route 322 widening and bypass project, officials were back on site to celebrate progress. (McCarthy, Gloucester County Times)

http://www.nj.com/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1246423213168470.xml&coll=8

N.J. makes financial literacy a graduation requirement

Credit score. Personal bankruptcy. Balancing a checkbook. (DeMarco, The Inquirer)

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20090701_N_J__makes_financial_literacy_a_graduation_requirement.html

N.J. con man gets 30 years for Ponzi scheme

A Haddon Heights con man compared by his victims to Wall Street swindler Bernard Madoff expressed remorse yesterday to a skeptical federal judge, who responded by sentencing him to 30 years in prison. (Boyer, The Inquirer)

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20090701_N_J__con_man_gets_30_years_for_Ponzi_scheme.html

Teacher-certification programs booming in N.J.

They have worked as a clothing buyer, cabinetmaker, personal trainer, painting contractor, psychologist, grant writer, cell biologist, journalist, artist, home builder, and executive coach. (Henry, The Inquirer)

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20090701_Teacher-certification_programs_booming_in_N_J_.html

CWA ratifies revised contract

Employees in New Jersey's largest state-worker union overwhelmingly ratified a revised contract agreement Tuesday that defers a raise and trades furloughs this year for future vaction days. (Symons, Asbury Park Press)

http://www.app.com/article/20090630/NEWS0301/907010348/-1/NEWS10/CWA+ratifies+revised+contract

Two more charged with voter fraud in Atlantic City mayoral primary

State Police arrested two more supporters of Councilman Marty Small and his ticket Tuesday for alleged improper use of ballots meant for sick or shut-in voters in the June mayoral primary. (Clark, Press of Atlantic City)

http://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/top_three/article_213cadf5-fd6e-5809-b456-111bbd2db69f.html

Bader Field development deadline passes without any bids made

The city's deadline to accept bids for a 143-acre city-owned parcel passed Tuesday with no offers, city officials confirmed. (Press of Atlantic City)

http://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/atlantic_city/article_201f441d-e62b-5ba3-ac7d-9733458e0c57.html

Judge order on contract halting Perth Amboy EMT layoffs — for now

City emergency medical technicians, scheduled to be laid off Wednesday, will remain on the job — for now.(Russell, Courier News)

http://mycentraljersey.com/article/20090630/NEWS/906300374/Judge+order+on+contract+halting+Perth+Amboy+EMT+layoffs+%E2%80%94+for+now

State looks into bias claims against prosecutor's office

The freeholders in Gloucester County are calling for the state Attorney General's Office to look into racial bias claims made against the county prosecutor's office. (Mast, Courier-Post)

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20090701/NEWS01/907010355/-1/newsfront2/State-looks-into-bias-claims-against-prosecutor-s-office

Menendez welcomes Franken to U.S. Senate

A Minnesota Supreme Court ruling today in favor of Democratic challenger Al Franken, and U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman's subsequent tap-out following a protracted legal battle eight months running since Election Day, prompted U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken) to fire off a quick statement of celebration. (Pizarro, PolitickerNJ)

http://www.politickernj.com/max/31090/menendez-welcomes-coleman-us-senate

Former council candidate claims councilwoman-elect is a Florida resident

An unsuccessful Jersey City council candidate claims that his former opponent is actually a resident of the Sunshine State. (Friedman, PolitickerNJ)

http://www.politickernj.com/matt-friedman/31093/former-council-candidate-claims-victorious-opponent-technically-florida-resident

With the PolitickerNJ.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of New Jersey's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.